CONSHOHOCKEN — It’s been two weeks since the beginning of the Donofrio Tournament, teams have come and gone, and on Tuesday night the five-time reigning champion I-3 stepped on the court for the first time.

And it wasn’t pretty.

Coach Bill Wilson had said that every team they’ve beaten over the course of the dynasty run had always played their best game against them. The Cavaliers were no exception. Featuring a number of regular season matchups between the two squads, it was a playoff atmosphere both on the court and in the packed gymnasium at the Fellowship House as the Cavs went on to defeat I-3 by a score of 87-73.

“We were hungry to play (I-3) from the beginning,” said Lamar Stevens of the Cavaliers, who holds a scholarship offer from Villanova and is being pursued by other Division I programs. “We were all excited for the opportunity and everybody just stepped up.”

Ten minutes into the game the All-Stars had put just two points on the board while the Cavs had broken out to a 19-2 lead. Led by Stevens, Princeton-commit Amir Bell and his Nueva Esperanza teammates Briheam Anthony and Hyking Brisbon, the Cavs were potent behind the arc early and stifled I-3 defensively.

“They played harder, they played more aggressive, they got loose balls, they got more rebounds, they just beat us,” Wilson said.

PIAA state champion Ja’Quan Newton from Neumann-Goretti had just one make from the field in the first half while sinking 5-of-8 from the line. Similar to the success Newton experience at N-G, winning three state titles in four years, his I-3 team had won the Donofrio in each of his first three years.

“I’ve been very fortunate to come out here and play and win a championship every year,” Newton said. “We lost this year, I couldn’t do anything about it, but I just want to say it’s been a great experience playing the Donofrio Tournament.”

The day before Newton’s astounding 33-point performance at the Giant Center in Hershey, including six points in overtime after almost sinking a runner at the buzzer, his mother has passed away. She was a regular in the stands at the Donofrio and his greatest fan.

“Every time that I step out onto the court is motivation for me because of my mom,” Newton said. “I just come out here and play every game for her and put it all out on the floor.”

In the fall, Newton will travel down to his new digs at the University of Miami and compete in the ACC.

“With Ja’Quan I have a lot of respect for what he’s been able to achieve and then to overcome and to achieve more through the death of his mother,” said I-3 coach Tony Lee. “He didn’t play his best game today, but I think when he moves through the next chapter in his life and continues to mature he’ll have an opportunity to be successful.”

Newton’s Philadelphia Catholic League opponent Josh Sharkey from Archbishop Carroll was again on the other side of the ball, running the offense effectively for the Cavaliers. He had four steals early and worked to the benefit of Stevens, who were once teammates on the Abington Friends squad before the two went separate ways after their sophomore seasons to Carroll and the Haverford School.

Stevens too matched up against a familiar regular season foe from the PAISAA, Sean O’Brien from Penn Charter, a 2014 Colgate commit, whom Steven’s Fords and the Quakers vied for the top spot in the Inter-Ac.

“(Stevens) is one of the most athletic sophomores I’ve seen,” O’Brien said. “He can handle, he can shoot — if you play off him he’s shooting, if you play off him he’s going by. He’s tough to guard.”

O’Brien’s first year playing for I-3 at the Donofrio was short-lived, but he had the pleasure to soak in the atmosphere for that brief moment.

“This is my first time playing for I-3 and Coach (Tony) Lee told me that we’re the favorite in the tournament, we’ve got a target on our back and every team is going to play their best game against us,” O’Brien said.

For the entirety of Tuesday’s matchup the Cavaliers were in firm control of the game. I-3 cut the deficit to a dozen early and again with two minutes remaining, but the Cavs enjoyed a near 20-point-lead for most of the second half. Stevens was dynamic on all ends of the court — draining shots from three-point land, throwing down a one-handed jam, and getting a Lebron James-esque trailing block on Newton in which the U-commit could only sit and laugh while the Cavs ran the offense the other way.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Donofrio Tournament. I’m very proud and happy with what Tony (Lee), the team and I have been able to accomplish over the last five years,” Wilson said.

On Thursday, the Old School Cavaliers will face LVBR in the quarters for the opportunity to earn a semifinal berth next Monday night at 7 p.m.

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CORRECTION: Lamar Stevens has been offered a scholarship by Villanova and will be graduate from the Haverford School in 2016.